Thomas Pynchon: The Demon in the Text by Albert Rolls (Edward Everett Root, 2019)
For many readers, the name Thomas Pynchon signifies a special place in the world of fiction writing. Arguably one of the finest post-WWII writers to come out of the USA, Pynchon has only published eight novels and one collection of early short stories since his debut novel V. was issued in 1963.
His thick and densely packed 1973 tome Gravity’s Rainbow has been synonymous with some of the most demanding reading ever to grace the shelves of bookshops and libraries. However, little is known about the man behind the text. Over the past sixty years, Pynchon has managed to keep his private life private.
Often referred to as a reclusive figure, only a few early photographs have ever made their way into the public realm. He has never courted publicity or even granted an interview. This has made him a near mythical figure in the literary world.
With his new book, Albert Rolls has taken on the task of attempting to peel away some of the layers of the author’s writings to create a picture of his activities and thought processes. Through this means, he hoped to reveal the depth and breadth of a creative and complex literary mind.
Since Pynchon’s friends are as guarded about the author’s privacy as Pynchon himself, trying to assemble an accurate picture of his life via them is not a practical solution. They are apparently quick to perpetuate stories which are likely fiction, such as the one in which Pynchon once sold vacuum cleaners in Guadalajara.
Instead, Rolls has to rely on the various written works that Pynchon has released to the public over the years. He also examines some lesser known works such as his aborted play Minstrel Island as well as his earliest writings from his high school days.
This process can prove to be as challenging as playing connect-the-dots where the dots are located on a continuously shifting three dimensional plane. Or perhaps peering into a bag full of snakes and attempting to deduce which head belongs to which tail. Luckily, Rolls is up for the challenge.
Over the course of three lengthy essays, he dissects Pynchon’s writings and examines the author’s point of view on culture, sociology, relationships and politics. He manages this in a manner which is both well-informed and enthusiastic.
He examines the relationship between the perceptions of Tom Pynchon and Thomas Pynchon. He delineates between areas which are Pynchonian and Pynchonesque. It is a tapestry woven from the intersection of the genesis of ideas to the interplay of high and low-brow presentation.
In the end, it is a thought-provoking portrait of a man whose work has served to enrich the minds of those who have chosen to delve into his unique world of words.
